pros and cons???!!??

[ZenA1201]

I am currently bfing my 5 1/2 mo son. He is my 3rd child to BF. First one weaned himself at 9 mos (he has a pacifier.. years later i realized that is prob why) #2 i weaned him at 7 mos (he was biting with teeth and was drawing blood) i dont feel i tried to get him to stop, just gave up. Now (6 yrs later) i am determined to BF till one year and beyond. I used to feel bf beyond one year is crazy, but have been reading up on it and see the advantages. I am a bit worried about how friends and family will feel about it (not that i care, just want to be prepared) My DH is fine he wants me to BF till he is at least 3!! DH heard about the higher IQ levels the longer you BF. I just want to hear from all of you, (the experienced ones) the good, the bad, the pretty, the ugly, the everything about extended breastfeeding. thanks, Julie

[Babyhellfire]

Laziness.That was the biggest pro for me I think.I was far to lazy to try and battle dd over it.So she didn't wean. Thankfully, there is a big difference between how a 6mo old nurses and a tot who eats,snacks and plays all day nurses.Most people-relitives,friends,coworkers would have been disgusted had they known I was still nursing...but dd nursed so much less at those ages very few people knew about it,and I had no reason to tell them. she didn't nurse enough that I needed to pump at work anymore, she didn't need to nurse when she was busy playing-so I didn't need to NIP after she was a certain age.

Really,nursing past a year was not something i had planned ..nursing past two seemed totally out of the question ,and awkward- but when you are doing it and your "baby" is still your baby it is much different than the idea you have about it when you are nursing your small child .. it isn't like SUDDENLY nursing a two yr old.

I think before she was one,I had this idea that "I will stop" "I will quit"- sometime after that I realized it wasn't about ME nursing her.It was about HER,her getting comfort,her getting nutrients-and it didn't seem quite right for just me to make that choice that she should be done.

I nursed my daughter till she was almost 3.We had this discussion about how her baby cousin drinks from a bottle,and how babies ONLY drink from bottles and breasts,but bigger kids can eat food...and if they have less breasts/bottles they can have more food.--I listed her favorite foods.She decided then to wean, and for a bit to have ice cream instead-thank goodness she out grew that lol- . It got down to her nursing once a week for two weeks ,then so simply, like it was nothing, she was done. I guess she was ready. :)

The other day,she got very sick.It was the 1st time she was sick and not nursing.She was throwing up- and nothing ,not even water would stay down.
It was also the 1st time I really wish she hadn't weaned... breast milk is the best clear liquid when kids are sick.It stays down easy,has nutrients and comforts. At least i would have known she had SOMETHING in her belly. I think Just being able to nurse when the are sick like that may be the BEST thing about ENing.

[Jacksmommy]

I'm nursing a 3 year old. The pro is he's bright and beautiful and happy and very very healthy. We never get sick. He's had 2 colds and a tummy bug over the last 2 years - nothing else, and each time he's recovered quickly. I've saved, I'm sure, a lot of money by not buying formula ar cow's milk for him or having to take him to the doctor for being sick.
There are no cons that I can think of.

[ZenA1201]

thanks for the insight... it really helped for the positive :)

[RedheadbyChoice]

Extended nursing? Do what works for you and your family, plain and simple. Your baby, your boobs, your business. Ours get nursed as long as they need to be nursed, that's it.

Oh! A great book, Mothering Your Nursing Toddler It's wonderful. Remember, too, that how and when a 2 year old nurses is vastly different than a newborn or even a 5 month old. :)

[dimplesx3]

Hi!
Nursing a toddler is wonderful!
I nursed my 1st for only 6 weeks and regretted weaning terribly.
With my 2nd my goal was 6 months. 6 months turned into 3 years.
I'm now nursing my 21 month old.
Pros- stays very healthy, goes to sleep easily with nursing, settles tantrums down quickly, one on one time with a busy baby
Cons- nothing other than sometimes he nurses a little too much in one day, it wears me out
I never thought I'd nurse my babies as long as I have, but I will treasure this time with them forever. It is passing way too quickly.

[MammaJill]

I am with the laziness argument already mentioned! Much easier to keep on going than to deal with trying to wean a toddler that is very demanding of his/her milk. :)

I feel also that I am boosting the immune system a bit by continuing to nurse, and when your toddler is sick to where they throw up everything but mama milk or just don't feel like eating except for nursing, still going is a good thing. DS had a really bad ear and throat infection at 12 months and would not eat or drink ANYTHING but mama milk, so still nursing at that point kept him out of the hospital for dehydration. Plus, it reduces both your and your nursing daughter's risk of breast cancers...nothing bad about that! :)

I have been nursing non-stop for 5 years and 4 months now...2 years of tandem in there. My oldest is weaned, but I am still glad that my little girl still wants her milk before nap and bed times (down to that on HER terms). Glad to still have her be my baby for a bit in this way even though she is really growing up a lot and getting pretty independent in a LOT of ways.

[ehcapakori]

I decided to let my older kids wean when THEY were ready; not ME. Both self weaned at 12 months & 17 mos. My family & friends (even strangers) all gave me a hard time, so I figured I'd BF this new baby for 5+ years, at least, for shock value. For the life of me, I don't understand what the big deal is. We have cows, horses & goats- they all nurse their babies until they are sexually "mature" and have to be physically moved to another field or they'd nurse forever. They must really like it, even though nutritionally they no longer "need" nurse. My oldest kids are now 14 & 17 (and I guess you would say 'sexually mature') and in the animal world, should just now be weaned. IT IS HARD to listen to all the snide comments some make about "mama's boy" or the independence argument, or you'll rot their teeth out (that one's funny to me). We as mama's have to grow backbones or ignore it. My new baby will be breastfed as long as she wants to, no matter what Granny, MIL or SIL says because I know that I would regret weaning too soon and they aren't the ones living w/ that. I showed my hub a video about how good bf is for babies, mommies and for society and all the statistics about intelligence levels being higher, illness being much lower, etc... He was blown away & recently told his family about it. With our w/ out their support, we moms need to BF as long as we can & wean when our babies are ready, plain & simple...In the meantime, absolutely cherish every moment of it & try not to let other's opinions get in the way of this very special time b/c is goes sooo very fast!